Did you happen to see my Sprint Tri recap post last year? I talked about how a massage helped me prepare for the race. I’ve competed in several triathlons since then, and massages are such a huge benefit to help me prepare and recover from these athletic events.

But I’m learning that massages are really a good thing for me to experience on a more consistent basis. I was reminded recently why I love Massage Envy and how I need to sign up as a member so I can take advantage of the therapeutic benefits (relieve stress, relax muscles and improve range of motion) at a cost so much more wallet-friendly then other spas.

The Massage Envy Cypress location off of 290 invited me to see their newly renovated space and treated me to a fabulous hour-long massage. It was incredible. They recently moved a stone’s throw from their previous location into a much bigger facility; a 15-room, 4200-square-foot spa which includes four upgraded spa rooms, two couples’ rooms and a large tranquility room.

When I arrived, I filled out paperwork so my therapist, Jessica, could understand exactly what I needed and wanted to get out of the session. My wellness coordinator, Kathy, asked further questions to be sure I knew all my options. I wanted a deep tissue massage with some stretching. Kathy suggested the Deep Muscle Therapy, warming and cooling thermal products to provide deep muscle pain relief from injuries and chronic conditions or limited mobility due to athletic training, to enhance my experience.

I was relaxed the minute I walked in, so I didn’t take many photos – but I did get a couple of the tranquility room. Look at that beautiful stone wall.

Jessica brought me back almost immediately and the session was amazing. The Deep Muscle Therapy was wonderful and so worth the extra $12.00. She made sure the pressure was comfortable and immediately found the spots on my neck that needed to be worked out and helped stretch my legs and arms. I felt like a million bucks when I was finished and I can’t wait to go back to see Jessica again. I felt like she really cared about my health and both Kathy and Jessica were so helpful and caring…it was like I had my own wellness team!

Massage Envy offers members a great rate of just $59.99 for a monthly massage and additional massages during the month are only $39.99. They also offer Murad Healthy Skin Facials, which I would love to get sometime soon!

Do you leave in the Houston/Cypress area? Want to win a free one-hour massage at Massage Envy to try it out for yourself? Be sure to enter the giveaway! For more information about Massage Envy in Houston, check them out on Facebook!

When I was little, my mother’s friend’s apartment caught on fire. I remember how devestating it was to her. All of her belongings were destroyed but thankfully, her injuries were treatable.

My family used the opportunity to talk about fire safety and we figured out a spot to meet outside if our house ever caught on fire. But we didn’t talk much about fire safety after that. As a parent, I’ve made it a point to talk to my kids about what to do in case of a fire and we’ve revisited the topic from time to time to make sure we are all on the same page and remember our plan.

National Fire Prevention Week is a great time to get together with your family and devise a plan (if you don’t already have one) or revisit safety tips if you already have a plan in place.

Yesterday Annie and I talked about the topic when she got home from school. I asked her what she remembered from when we last chatted (it’s been awhile!). We’ve talked about not hiding if she’s or smells smoke, about the quickest way to get out of our house and where to meet outside.

I’m so thankful that there are resources available that make having these discussions easier with our kids.

I recently discovered a free app that makes learning about fire prevention and safety fun; Sparky and the Case of the Missing Smoke Alarms. I was very happy when they asked if Annie and I would give it a try and share our thoughts with you!

The NFPA and Sparky.org Fire Prevention Week app has both an interactive story and music video…plus many other resources for parents and teachers.

Annie started with the story and she read along with the narrator (although the words are pretty small) as Sparky and the kids investigate why an intruder stole Aunt Dottie’s smoke alarms. She loved clicking on the different pictures to see lights come on, wind chimes ring, instruments play and characters (even those in paintings) talk.

TIP: Be sure to check out the Magic 8 Ball on the stairs on one of the pages, it was her favorite….so cute!

She could also learn about safety tips throughout the story by clicking on white “sparkles” on different pages such as facts about smoke alarms, evacuation information, etc.

At the conclusion of the story when Annie found all 9 fire safety tips, she received a superstar certificate she personalized with her photo!

The music video, What’s that Sound by Recess Monkey, was also fun and Annie got up and danced. It’s the next day and I’m still humming it which is good… and bad!!! 🙂

The app also included questions for Annie and I to discuss what we learned:

1. Why was it dangerous for Jerome Jinx to borrow the smoke alarms?

Annie – “Even though Jerome meant to do a good thing and felt bad about his mistake, you never know when there will be a fire so they always need to be there and be working.”

2. What would you teach Jerome about fire safety? What does he need to learn?

Annie – “Teach Jerome that there has to be a fire safety plan…like how we would meet out front at our big Oak tree.”

I’m proud of what Annie learned and how fun the app made the process! For more information about the app and additional resources for parents and teachers including free fire-safety materials, check out the Sparky Schoolhouse site.

What do you do to help teach fire safety to your kids?

Do you have smoke alarms and change out batteries regularly?

Do you have a designated outside meeting place for your family to gather in case of a fire?

While I received compensation to share information about the National Fire Protection Agency’s Sparky.org Fire Prevention Week app, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I believe in teaching fire prevention safety tips to my children and applaud organizations like WeAreTeachers.com and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)’s resource for kids, Sparky.orgwho help me do it in such an entertaining way!

Still Living The Dream contributing writer, Tanya, and her son, Michael, are here today with a review of the new VTech InnoTab 3 Plus Learning Tablet. Check out what they thought and then be sure to enter to win one in our giveaway just in time for the holidays! Many thanks to VTech for providing Michael a complimentary product sample to review and for providing another Learning Tablet for one lucky Still Living the Dream reader to win!

A few years ago, I bought my youngest boy, Michael, the VTech InnoTab for Christmas. The InnoTab was the “in” toy that year and to purchase the kid-friendly tablet, I had to resort to stalking the employees at Target as they restocked merchandise.

The gift was a hit! Michael loved the InnoTab- it was simple for him to use (he was 4 at the time) and intuitive. We purchased several games to go with it like Disney’s Cars and Toy Story 3. The big problem with the original InnoTab was that it required AA batteries. Michael played on the InnoTab so much that he went through the batteries faster than we had a chance to take out a small business loan and purchase them.

Then Michael’s older brother, Henry, got a Kindle for his birthday. Michael wasn’t quite ready for a tablet of his own, but he REALLY, REALLY wanted to play with his brother’s ALL-THE-TIME. After the 1,000th fight over the darn Kindle I whispered a prayer to the toy gods- “if only there was something Michael could use that was more his age-level, that was durable, and rechargeable.” The wind floated the message down to me- the VTech InnoTab 3! Michael has had a blast using the InnoTab 3.

Setting up the InnoTab was easy and straightforward. Michael took to it right away, he even created his user name “Mike”. Some of the best features are that it is rechargeable (available in the bundle option) and it is compatible with the cartridges we purchased with the original InnoTab. There are also games and apps that you can download when you connect the tablet to the computer.

This tablet offers access to more than 800 educator-endorsed, age and stage appropriate cartridges, software and apps that can be purchased and downloaded from VTech’s Learning Lodge app store, but Michael seemed to be perfectly content taking selfies!

Michael’s favorite aspect of the InnoTab is the camera and video feature. It has an 180° rotating camera with over 55 special effects and video recorder to make movies. Kids can even import and listen to their own MP3s with the music player.

As for durability, it has been dropped multiple times and run over by a bicycle at least once and that was just day one! It seems to be durable enough to handle the abuse of young boys.

The InnoTab 3 is a great gift for Christmas for the kid that really, really, wants a tablet but will crack a screen faster than you can shout- “Nooooooooo-“. Although it is recommended for ages 3-9, because of its contents, I think it is more suitable for kids aged 4-6. InnoTab 3 Plus comes with 12 apps and retails for $59.99.

VTech InnoTab 3 Plus artwork by Michael!

There is now a little more peace in the house with two boys having their own personal and age-appropriate tablets. And, Michael, well, he has ridden his bicycle off into the sunset yelling: “This is the best day ever!!!”

After some pretty crazy rain in Houston, we woke up to a beautiful Sunday morning last weekend. The minivan was pretty grimy from going back and forth to soccer practice and games, play rehearsals and running errands, so we decided to take advantage of the sunny day and clean it up.

Over the summer while at Blogger Bash in NYC, I learned about Washdrops, a wash and shine formula for your vehicle that doesn’t require any rinsing!

I was excited to receive a complimentary Basic Car Wash Kit from Cequent, the manufacturer, to try out so I could share my results with you. The kit included:

Not included in the kit, but very helpful indeed, was Annie and her friend E. who volunteered to help me!

With just three capfuls of Washdrops in a gallon of water, we were able to get the minivan spick and span. The girls took turns washing and drying (well – they mostly handled the middle section of the vehicle…I was in charge of the high and low areas!)

I like that Washdrops is biodegradable and solvent-, butyl-, phosphate- AND ammonia-free. This means the formula won’t scratch my vehicle’s surface (because I don’t want anything to distract from the door dings!) and run-off can safely go down the drain or in the yard without killing the flowers I may or may not have had time to plant this year!

The best part is that you can use the formula to clean all surfaces from tires to windows and you don’t have to rinse it off. For me, this is great because I can spot clean when needed without a lot of hassle.

COUPON for Still Living The Dream readers

Did I mention that Washdrops is pretty darn economical?

The Basic Car Wash Kit is just $16.00 and a Washdrops Gallon bottle (which yields up to 128 wash and shines) is just $28.95. But as a Still Living The Dream reader, you can save $2.00 off your order by using the coupon code: FansSaveNow atthe Cequent Store.

A coupon and a clean car? Nailed it!

I was given a Basic Car Wash Kit to try out for free but did not receive any other compensation. As always, all thoughts, opinions (and possible dirty areas on my minivan roof I may have missed during this review) are my own!

Taking a break from the worries of work, schedules and your normal routine can be such a great way to gain a new perspective and relax, but it can also be hard to carve out time to go on a long vacation. Plus, organizing and financing a trip far from home can be time consuming and pricey when you take into consideration flights, activities, hotels and meals.

We’ve taken several “staycation” mini breaks at home over the years, both over the summer but also when school is in session when I find that schedules are beginning to run our life. Blocking out a weekend or even one day to spend together as a family can help us get reconnected and we’ve gone on picnics and museum trips and even just stayed home for games or movie marathons.

But it’s hard to really “get away” and be present with your family when you are at home looking at the loads of laundry, dishes and bills that need to be dealt with. Then there’s the lawn that needs to be mowed and wait…what? Is that the roof leaking?!!!

The Woodlands Resort seemed to sense we were in panic mode recently and called to see if we would check out their new lazy river and be their guest for an overnight retreat. We were thrilled to be offered this opportunity. Just about 45 minutes away, The Woodlands Resort is close enough to make it an easy trip, but far enough so that we put some distance between us and the work that was at home.

We actually stayed at the Woodland Resort in the spring, but that was before the lazy river was built and it happened to rain the entire time we were there (check out my post “How To Make the Best of a Rainy Vacation“). We still had a great time, but we really missed being in the water.

This time we arrived early Saturday morning to take advantage of all the poolside activities. Even though check-in isn’t officially until 3:00 p.m., The Woodlands Resort allows their guests to come earlier on the day of arrival to enjoy the property. Just stop by the desk and they’ll give you your bracelets. You can start sipping cold lemon-aid and racing down the water slides and they’ll call you when your room is ready!

We picked a seat by the back pool and water fall, so relaxing! But all the kid’s activities were happening at the front pool by the Cool Water Cafe.

Annie was excited about the line-up of activities scheduled for the day. She definitely wanted to get her face painted, get a balloon creation and take part in the hula hoop contest.

We had a great meal by the pool from The Cool Water Cafe. Then at 3:00 p.m., we got a call that our room was ready! Our door was right by the pool and the back patio overlooked the lazy river. What a perfect view! The kids took a small break while I got ready to head over to The Spa at the main building.

The Spa is very quaint, quiet and relaxing. The therapist I had was wonderful. She asked me if it was ok if she worked out some of the kinks in my shoulders during my Swedish Massage. Yes, please! The hour flew by and I left feeling more relaxed for sure, but also more alert and energized!

We were going to take advantage of the kids eat free deal in the Woodlands Dining room, but we were having so much fun by the pool, we decided to eat dinner poolside at the Cool Water Cafe again. They have a nice menu, so we were all able to get something different then we had for lunch.

After dinner, we made S’Mores at the Fire Pit and circled around the lazy river a couple times before the movie. Their new, 1,000 foot lazy river wraps around the Forest Oasis Pool and guest rooms. With music playing along the way, we relaxed as we floated (the current isn’t too strong, very easy going) and then had a blast sliding down the new two-story water slide.

When we returned to our room after the movie later that night, we had a surprise waiting for us…a cookie cake and carafe of milk. The kids felt so fancy! What a perfect way to end the day.

After a great night’s rest, I got up early to run. The fitness center is open 24/7, but I wanted to check out the property and run outside. They have a bike and run trail that surrounds the resort, but I just ran throughout the property and saw the golf course and tennis courts.

There is a lot of construction going on at the resort right now, but once you are back by the pool area – you hardly notice anything is going on. The $60-million expansion and renovation began last year and includes a new 184 guest room wing, the new (and now open!) lazy river and a new steakhouse along with an update to the resort’s conference center. We stayed in one of the 200+ renovated guest rooms at Fairway Pines, and they are really nice! The beds were comfortable and the furnishings were pretty with a modern Texas vibe. (Just be sure to ask for a room with a refrigerator if you think you’ll need one during your stay. Not all rooms have one right now.)

We will definitely go back to the Woodlands Resort again soon. It was one of the most relaxing overnight stays I’ve ever had and because it was so close to home, getting there was stress-free! The Woodlands is such a great area and there are plenty of stores and restaurants located close by, but they have everything you need right at the resort so there’s really no need to ever leave the property once you arrive. We didn’t…and we can’t wait to do it again!

I was invited to stay at the Woodlands Resort with my family in order to review the property and resort amenities. I did not receive any other compensation and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Last year I posted nutritional information and a review of Chick-fil-A’s newest salads and wrap which continue to be extremely popular with their customers. I love the healthier menu options which make it easy to eat well while on the go.

Recently they made a big change to their grilled menu.

Have you heard about this latest news? Maybe not, because they played it all calm and low key and just kind of snuck these in on their menu without doing a lot of promotion. In fact, even though David and his team invited me and my friends to preview the new items for free at the restaurant in our area in Houston on April 7th, they had actually already been serving the items to their customers for several weeks.

Even though they didn’t make a lot of hooplah, make no mistake…this change is HUGE.

Chick-fil-A has introduced a new lineup of grilled chicken entrees that will give the chain one of the most nutritious and expansive grilled menus across the quick-service industry.

On April 14, the Atlanta-based restaurant chain officially rolled-out three new entrees:

Chick-fil-A® Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Chick-fil-A® Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich

Chick-fil-A® Grilled Nuggets

So you’re probably thinking, what? They already have a grilled chicken sandwich and grilled nuggets – what’s the big deal?

Actually, the items they have been serving on their menu for years have been CHAR-GRILLED, not grilled. Chick-fil-A invested seven years of testing and more than $50 million to reinvent its grilled chicken recipe including the creation of a proprietary grill. This grill sears chicken perfectly on cast-iron grates like it was cooked on a backyard grill, only faster.

What does that mean for you and me?

Chick-fil-A’s new chicken filet is 1 1/2 ounces larger than the fried filet. The grilled recipe is moister, juicier and more flavorful than the char-grilled version offered before. Each grilled chicken breast is marinated with a blend of sea salt, lemon, garlic and savory herbs, and cooked on their newly developed proprietary grill.

My friends (girl scout brownie troop moms) and I were all, “that sounds good – but we’ll be the judge of that!” So we all ordered items from the grilled menu and chowed down, Texas style.

Our verdict? Delicious! Every grilled menu item was so tasty and moist…you can actually see sear marks on the chicken. Did you know that some restaurants have a grill mark press they use to simulate sear marks?! Chick-fil-A’s are for real!

Check out the details including nutritional facts on the grilled chicken items:

Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Sandwich: The Grilled Chicken Sandwich is a boneless, 100 percent pure breast meat chicken, marinated with a special blend of seasonings, served on a new toasted, multigrain bun (not wheat) with green leaf lettuce and tomato and with a side of Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce. Pickles no longer come on the sandwich to reduce the sodium level. It is priced starting at $4.29 with just 320 calories and 5 grams of fat, making it one of the most nutritious grilled entrees in the quick- service industry.

Take it up a notch with the Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich with Colby-Jack Cheese and Applewood smoked bacon for $5.49 with 440 calories and 14 grams of fat.

Chick-fil-A Grilled Nuggets: Chick-fil-A Grilled Nuggets are pure boneless breast of chicken that come in the four and six-count kid’s meals are also available in eight-count (140 calories, 3 fat grams for $3.79) or 12-count (200 calories, 4.5 fat grams for $5.59) packs. Grilled Nuggets are made without gluten-containing ingredients and are free of trans fats.

I love to get grilled nuggets with honey mustard dipping sauce (one of the better choices at 45 calories a serving) with a side of fruit and a diet lemon aid!

As someone who tries to make healthy food choices wherever I go, I appreciate that Chick-fil-A makes their nutritional information easily accessible on their menu boards. You can also go online to find a meal calculator.

What’s on the horizon for Chick-fil-A:

1. On Feb. 11, Chick-fil-A announced that it will serve chicken raised without antibiotics in all its restaurants nationwide within five years. The move marked the first time a quick service restaurant has committed to a 100 percent “raised without antibiotics” standard for poultry.

2. Iced and hot coffee will be introduced in August 2014. Farmer-direct medium-roast coffee was developed especially for Chick-fil-A by experts at THRIVE Farmers. Both will be available in original and vanilla in 16- and 20-oz. serving sizes.

3. Frappes will be coming late 2014 to early 2015! Sustainably sourced by THRIVE Farmers, they will offer Triple Chocolate and Salted Caramel flavors.

4. Smoothies. Word on the street is Chick-fil-A will come out with pineapple mango, strawberry orange and berry acai smoothies made with real fruit and low-fat yogurt sometime in 2015. All smoothies will be 300 calories or less.

Want to be the judge the new grilled items yourself? How about….A Giveaway!

I never had a pet growing up, so when my husband and I adopted our little dog, Sadie, from the Citizens for Animal Protection 16 years ago – it was a big deal. We fell in love with her the minute we saw her. She is a beautiful border collie, sheltie mixed breed and when she looked up at us that day, well – we melted.

Sadie has been with us through thick and thin. She’s lived in three different homes with us, was there when we brought both of our babies (now 10 and 5 years old) home from the hospital and has loved us unconditionally…even when life got so busy that long walks to the park became less frequent.

I love my dog so much. I know that she won’t be with us forever and even though she’s got a lot of spunk left in her for an old gal, I can certainly tell she’s slowing down. It’s hard for her to see, she can’t jump up on the coach or go upstairs anymore and she walks a bit slower. But she’s happy and I’m so thankful for every day we have with our sweet Sadie Lady.

I was brushing Sadie the other day and realized that she’s had the same collar for a LONG time. Unacceptable! Really, a collar is the only way a doggie can can glam it up! I looked for one at the local pet store, but they were all kinda…boring. So I looked online and found a great website, Dog Collars Boutique, that has a ton of great pet collars…so many that I had a hard time deciding which one to select. They have everything from bling to “rock star” leather style collars to subtle solid color canvas collars in all sizes and price ranges. Collars with spikes, crystals and beads. Preppy-style argyle print collars, personalized collars and 60’s style flower-power collars.

Sadie Lady has simple taste and so I decided on a simple but beautiful pink, round-rolled leather collar by Auburn Leathercrafters. These collars are perfect for long-haired dogs because the round shape helps prevent tangled and matted fur around the dog’s neck. Which is good for Sadie because her hair is so long you can barely even see her collar!

My order shipped quickly and when the package arrived, it was wrapped up so cute in paw print tissue!

As mentioned in yesterday’s post – I’m offering 40% off an online order of HALO bars. The link given to me was incorrect. Please use this one http://theprobar.com/shop and enter “BLOGGER” upon checkout (all caps). Sorry for the confusion! (It’s corrected in the post now!)

Last night my family and I saw the premiere of the documentary Buck and had the pleasure to meet Buck Brannaman, the horseman that it is about. We were, unfortunately, a few minutes late; however, from where we jumped in (about 10 minutes into the film) we were hooked.

Buck is a horse whisperer of sorts. Abused by his father as a child, he turned his painful past into a life where he travels 40 weeks a year teaching clinics that help people GENTLY train their horses. Highly regarded in his field, he assisted Robert Redford with the making of the movie, The Horse Whisperer starring Scarlett Johansen….which is covered briefly in the documentary.

Buck was present to answer questions at the end of the film and while many in attendance were horse owners with questions about specific problems they have with their own horses, many more people commented on how the film moved them to tears and applauded Buck for the work that he does. Known as a humble and quiet-tempered man, Buck thanked each audience member for their comments…dodging any kind of indication that he is out of the ordinary. In fact, he doesn’t even consider himself a horseman but hopes when he meets his trainer, Ray, in heaven some day that he’ll be proud of him.

I loved Buck’s sense of humor that came through both in person and in the film. And his honesty. At one point in the film he works with a wild and dangerous horse that can’t be broken and while dealing with both the owner and the horse, he stayed calm but spoke from his heart. It was a moving scene for sure. Buck believes that many “horse” problems are really “people” problems. Truly, issues with children have much to do with the parents. Same holds true with horses, Buck believes.

In fact, questions from the audience that didn’t have to do with horse specific issues were mostly about those that suffered abuse in some way…or those that work with abused children. After Buck’s mother died he lived with foster parents that he loves dearly. He said of the film, if it makes someone aspire to be like Betsy Shirley (his foster mom) and give a kid no one cares about a home, then it was worth it.

I asked him how a cowboy from Wyoming handles sudden movie star status.

Standing in the theatre with brown cowboy boots, a yellow dress shirt with a western decorated tie, cowboy hat and jeans tight enough to see the outline of a round tin can in his front pocket he answered: “The film has a beginning, middle and end and one day when it’s in the bargain bin at Walmart, I’ll be back doing what I was doing and be just fine.”

I never know what to get Ed for Father’s Day. Flowers seem weird and hand tools are too expensive! Because I’m a scrapbooker I like to make meaningful gifts, usually with photos. When I heard about the customizable cufflinks from PhotoJewelryMaking.com; I knew I found this year’s gift.

I have a lot of different jewelry with Annie and Jackson’s photos on them and PhotoJewelryMaking.com offers tons of choices for women including bracelets, necklaces and rings; however, they have items like the cufflinks for men, too – which I think is brilliant.

I received my Father’s Day Easy Change Photo Cufflinks Kit ($19.99) in the mail which contained instructions, photo paper, the cufflinks and the EZ photo resizer CD.

After installing the software, I was able to download the photos I wanted to use and size to fit the cufflinks perfectly. I printed them on the photo paper, cut them out and placed them on the cufflinks. Easy peasy!

I wish I had selected a photo of Jackson that wasn’t so close up (I picked photos of the kids in their baseball team hats), but I think they turned out great.

I really like that the website carries all supplies you need to make photo jewelry and if I wanted to get another set of cufflinks without the CD etc, I can order them for just $9.99. They also carry several different home business kits with supplies to make many necklaces, etc. Perfect if you had a lot of gifts to give or want to earn a little extra money on the side.

What are you giving your dad/husband for Father’s Day this year?

Disclosure: I was provided a free cufflink kit to review but wasn’t otherwise compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. (So are the cute kids on the cufflinks!)

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I am so excited to attend the 2016 Katy Home & Garden Show this weekend. I have several home improvement ideas planned beginning with some DIY kitchen projects and I can’t wait to get some ideas from some of the 300 + vendors on site at the Expo as well as advice from the experts […]

Latest Winners!

Congrats to winners of the Dohm White Noise Machine! Jessica – who says the cars outside keep her up at night and Shannon – who is tired of the Doves cooing outside her window until the wee hours of the morning. You guys will be getting a Dohm….so get ready for some serious sleep! Congratulations!

Two great giveaways this week and here are the winners! 1. $50 to GetUncommon to purchase a case for your iPhone – Renee H. 2. $110 designer sunglasses to block out those allergens and look great doing it! – Jennifer W. Congrats lucky ladies!

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Has it really been 2 years since I started this little ol’ blog?! This post was one of my first…and people tell me it cracked them up. It’s long – but if you just got fired and you’re caught up on all the House and Sister Wives episodes – it’s not a bad way to […]